Why Malaysian Chinese are having fewer children

According to demographic transition theory (DDT), birth rates are expected to decline as a society shifts from an agrarian to an industrial economy, with this change affecting the size and composition of its population.

In an agrarian society, birth rates are high but are also accompanied by high death rates. As a result, population growth was minimal in most societies at the time.

This began to change as societies moved towards industrial economies. Better healthcare meant lower death rates, while birth rates remained more or less unchanged.

However, this trend eventually began to change. Besides better healthcare, industrialisation brought urbanisation, improved education, modern lifestyles and, most importantly, changes in values. Individualism took root as industrialisation empowered such a culture.

As a result, birth rates began to decline. This is particularly visible among Malaysian Chinese. The decline in childbirth among the Chinese in Malaysia, as well as elsewhere, became apparent in the 1980s. The total fertility rate (TFR) among Malaysian Chinese women was 3.3 in 1980. Two decades later, it had fallen to 2.1.

According to the WHO, a TFR of 2.1 is generally considered the replacement level needed for a population to maintain its size over the long term, assuming no migration. If the TFR falls below this level, a population will eventually begin to shrink and age.

Unfortunately, the Chinese community’s TFR has continued to decline. Last year, the TFR among Chinese women was 0.8.

Reports from the statistics department show that the number of Malaysian Chinese has been declining since 2021. Migration is certainly one factor contributing to this decline, but the bigger factor is likely the fall in the Chinese birth rate.

In other words, the Chinese population is now at the “free-fall” stage. In DDT, this refers to a possible fifth stage.

According to the theory, some societies may see birth rates increase after the fourth stage, while others may continue to experience declines. Unfortunately, DDT describes these trends but does not explain why they occur.

Based on my analysis of the Chinese community in Malaysia, as well as Chinese communities across the Sinosphere, I believe I can offer an explanation.

For me, the Chinese have moved into hypermodernity. I took this term from Gilles Lipovetsky, who defined hypermodernity as an era characterised by the following:

• Hyper-individualism: An intense focus on personal freedom, self-realisation and immediate gratification.
• Hyper-consumerism: Consumption driven not only by status, but also by emotional experiences, health, wellness and constant novelty.
• Hyper-technologisation: Technology operating at breakneck speed, redefining time, space and human interaction.

At present, particularly among younger Chinese people, hyper-individualism is increasingly evident. This can be observed in their lifestyles, including the pursuit of immediate gratification and an aversion to responsibilities. They are also driven by hyper-consumerism, sometimes consuming beyond their means.

Technology appears to reinforce these tendencies by connecting people while constantly exposing them to new products and experiences designed to provide gratification.

When such behaviour takes hold, values change.

Chinese values traditionally prioritised family, with starting a family often seen as a natural responsibility.

In a hypermodern world, however, this view is becoming less influential. Family can instead be perceived as a burden or an obstacle to personal gratification and the consumption of goods and experiences that provide satisfaction.

Hence, a subculture of anti-familism appears to be growing among Chinese youth. It may have been started by individuals who view the family as an institution that undermines happiness and life satisfaction.

This can be seen on social media, where various videos encourage singlehood and portray marriage as awful or destructive.

When such messages become widespread, they can validate the idea that it is acceptable to remain single, not start a family and not have children.

Hyper-consumerism may also contribute to the perception that raising children is financially unaffordable. For many Chinese families, raising a child is associated with spending on expensive preschools, private schools and universities.

While wanting to provide the best for one’s children is commendable, these expectations can also become a convenient justification for choosing not to have children.

This problem is now spreading to other communities in Malaysia. The Indian community faces a similar problem, with declining birth rates and a shrinking population. Similar trends are also emerging among Malays and the Bumiputera communities in Sabah and Sarawak.

In my view, measures to address or at least contain this problem must go beyond financial incentives. Many developing countries do not face the same low-birth-rate problem, while the issue is particularly pronounced in upper-middle-income and developed countries.

Hence, the problem is not simply about income. It is about the broader social ecology.

We need to bring hypermodernity under control by addressing hyper-individualism, hyper-consumerism and the influence of technology, particularly social media. At the same time, other measures could help create an environment that is more conducive to starting families and having children.

For example, childcare costs could be reduced by allowing childcare centres to operate in or near workplaces.

Tax and financial incentives could also be introduced as part of a broader effort to improve this social ecology, making it more conducive to forming families and having children rather than relying on them as the primary means of addressing the problem.

Chin Yee Mun is an associate professor and the director of the Tun Tan Cheng Lock Institute of Social Studies at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.

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